Only 2 More Days at the BB&T Atlanta Open

Friday was another great day of tennis at the BB&T Atlanta Open – Quarterfinal Day did not disappoint, even though we had a short rain delay in the first set of the first singles match of the day.

Tommy Paul came out swinging in his match versus tour veteran and Rafa-Slayer Gilles Muller, holding his own through the first few games. But, then the Weather Gods decided we all needed a little break to grab a bite to eat and do a little shopping around Atlantic Station, and when the match resumed, Tommy didn’t have quite the same firepower.

Muller went on a rampage, showing why he’s had so much success this summer. To Tommy’s credit, he kept a very positive attitude out there and battled through to the bitter end. USTA coaches Diego Moyano and Brian Boland remained

Diego Moyano & Brian Boland

positive as well, encouraging Tommy to keep going for his shots. They both seemed pleased with their young charge’s performance against the veteran Muller, pow-wowing throughout the match about what to work on moving forward.

Next up was former Georgia Bulldog and 3-time Atlanta Champion John Isner who always has tons of support at this event. As he came on court, you could hear the fans Woof-ing at the Big Dawg, which John acknowledged with a big smile and waves to the crowd.

Even though there was only one break of serve by Isner in each set, he never seem too bothered by Lacko and went about his business in less time than it takes to drive from Atlanta to Athens. Isner did face a break point in the first set. “Yea dangit that was a horrible service performance today [laughing]. No I served well. He was for a good portion of the match on me a little bit. He returned well. He takes the return early, and he hit quite a few good returns quick and right at my feet. I stayed calm at that breakpoint; hit a great serve, hit three great serves. Got out of dodge there and then was able to play a great game at 5 all to win the first set.”

The third quarterfinal of the day was perhaps the most anticipated: 25-year-old Louisiana native Ryan Harrison versus 21-year-old Atlanta native (and rising Georgia Tech senior) Chris Eubanks. Chris has had a dream run this week, using his Wildcard to its full advantage while taking out fellow NextGen players Taylor Fritz and Jared Donaldson in the first two rounds. Ryan Harrison proved too tough for the Yellowjacket, cruising to an early 5-0 lead in the first set before Chris finally held serve to get on the scoreboard. Harrison held to close out the first set 6-1 then kept his foot on the gas throughout the second set to win it 6-2.

At the end of the match, the announcer handed Chris the mic so he could talk to the very supportive crowd. He was very gracious, thanking everyone for their support, acknowledging that this was a great experience for him and gave him a chance to see what he needs to work on as he finishes up at GA Tech and prepares for life on the pro tour.

Ryan was complimentary of Chris’s play. “Chris was pretty aggressive early, and he was making a few errors,” explained Harrison. “So I was trying to focus on keeping my first serve percentage up. I know he’s got big weapons, especially with that forehand. I thought if I made first serves it would be difficult for him to control the point with it. I was really emphasizing on trying to make those. Then just you know I usually do a good job of making a lot of balls back and kind of putting that extra ball back in the court.”

The last Quarterfinal match pitted top-seeded Jack Sock against UK standout Kyle Edmund. Edmund, the twenty-two-year-old British star and Davis Cup player, seemed ready for aggressive play from Sock. He remained steady with his serve and returned the firepower with fire of his own, to come out on top. After winning the first set 6-4, Edmund took advantage of a weakened Sock – who requested a medical timeout but never seemed to recover fully despite massive crowd support – and dominated the second set, which ended quickly at 6-1.

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During the last few years as Head Coach of the Men’s Tennis Team at UVA, I’ve seen Lisa at multiple matches and events. She is committed to covering college tennis in a way that gives parents a look inside the game, helping them understand the realities of the recruiting process and playing at a high level. Lisa’s energy and passion for our sport are really needed. As I move into my new role with USTA, I look forward to working with Lisa and ParentingAces, especially as we work to continue growi…

Brian BolandPlayer Development Head of Men’s TennisUSTA

Tremendous resource for juniors, parents, and tennis enthusiasts. Thanks, Lisa for having some of the top minds in our game on your podcast and providing great insight for kids and parents and for always being an advocate for our great sport.

Manuel DiazHead Coach, Men's TennisUniversity of Georgia

I was fortunate to discover ParentingAces when I began the tennis parenting journey a couple years ago. Lisa’s wisdom and passion for junior and college tennis is undeniable. The weekly podcast provides a window into some of the best minds in tennis. From a variety of perspectives, the podcast covers everything from lessons learned from other tennis parents (including Steve Johnson, Sr. and Tracy Austin), life on the tour, goal setting, finding the right coach, tournament prep, and maximizing …

Scott ColsonTennis Parent

Whether it’s via her weekly radio show or her ParentingAces website or social media, Lisa Stone is always on top of the important issues in junior and college tennis. The information and resources she provides–for players and their families just starting out to those preparing for college tennis competition–can’t be found anywhere else, and her love of the sport shines through in all her outreach. I hope she’ll continue to connect all of us in the tennis community for many years to come.

Colette LewisZootennis.com

Lisa Stone of ParentingAces is one of the most passionate people that I have come across in tennis media. Her blog provides deep insight into junior and college tennis. ParentingAces is a notable source for educating tennis parents.

Stephen AmritrajDirector of Collegiate TennisUSTA

ParentingAces is a must-visit website for anyone interested in junior or college tennis. Lisa Stone’s personal experiences – as well as her relationships with others in the tennis world – make for quality stuff in her podcasts, analysis, and guest content. We always appreciate it when Lisa makes time as a contributor to TennisRecruiting.net, and I know that ParentingAces will be an important part of the landscape of junior and college tennis for a long time.

Dallas OliverTennisRecruiting.net

ParentingAces has the most informative junior and college tennis podcast out there. I love the different guests that Lisa brings on which provides different viewpoints on a wide variety of topics. Whether it be junior development, the recruiting process, scholarships, staying healthy, or just hearing wisdom from people that know what they’re talking about – Lisa has it covered. Great site for all to enjoy!!!!

Bobby KnightCollege Tennis Today

Lisa Stone loves tennis, as I do. She also cares deeply about higher education, about American families, and their tennis journeys, as do I. ParentingAces is a great source for tennis information – including about junior tennis and college tennis. ParentingAces provides valuable opportunities for tennis fans, those new to the game and those who have been passionate about our sport for years and years, to exchange ideas. Lisa recognizes that we may not all always agree, as the world (and the …

Parents, for those of you who are brand new to this junior tennis tournament scene, get educated! One of the best resources is from my friend Lisa Stone who has a great website! See http://www.parentingaces.com. With two little ones of my own and having been a pro and never gone the junior route in the US I will most certainly continue my junior tennis education from her website and from her podcast! Enjoy!

Johan Kriek2-time Australian Open ChampionJohan Kriek Tennis Academy

Dear Lisa, as a parent of two competitive tennis players I wish to give you a heartfelt thanks for all the tireless work you put in every week on social media to inform, educate, and guide those of us who try to navigate the often mystifying waters of junior and college tennis. As people who had no background whatsoever in US tennis, having grown in a different country, my wife and I had to rely on few advisors and a lot of information found on line in trying to figure out how to best advise o…